San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-05-12


usually taken advantage of IN the cree
tion of these fOrlnTn dwellings,. But. in
the present case, such Il kind of shelter
had been disregIrded. Higher Crow
Stairs, Us the house was called. stood
quite detached and undelendcd. The
only reason for its precise situation
seemed tn b. the crossing of two foot
paths at right angles hard 10y, which
may have crossed there and thus for q
good five hundred years. The house
was thus exposed to the elements OH all
sides. But, though the wind up here
blew Enthusiastically when il did blow,
and the rain hit hard whenever it fell,
the various weatheTs of the winter sea-
son were not quite so formidable on the
coOmb as they were imagined to be by
dwellers on low ground. The raw rimes
were not so pernicous as in the hOllOwS,
and the frOSts were scarcely so severe.
When the shepherd and his family, who
tenanted the house, were pitied fer their
sufferings from the exposure, they said
that upon the whole they were less in
convenienced by "wuZZes and flames"
(hoarses and phlegms) than when they
had lived by the stream of snug neigh
borhood valley.
The night of March y, 49,, was pre-
cisely one of the nights that were wont
to call forth these expressions of COM
miseratiOn. The level rain-storm smote
walls, slopes, and hedges like the cloth
yard shafts of Senlac and Crecy. Such
sheep and outdoor animals as had no
shelter stood with their buttocks TO the
wind: while the tails of little birds try
ing to roost on some scraggy thorn were
blown inside out like umbrellas. The
gable end of the cottage was stained
with wet, and the eaves-droppings flap
ped against the wall. Yet never was
commiseration for the shepherd more
misplaced. For that cheerful rustic was
entertaining large party in glorifica-
ton of the christening of his second
girl.
The guests had arrived before the
rain began TO fall, and they were all
now assembled in the chief or living
room of the dwelling. A glance into
the apartment at So'clock on this event
full evening would have resulted in the
opinion that it was as coy and COM
Portable nook as could be wished for
in boisterOus weather. The calling of
its inhabitants was proclaimed by
number of highly-polished sheep-crooks
without stems that were hung orna-
mentally over the fireplace, the curling
of each shining crook varying from the
antiquated type engraved in the pa
triachal pictures of old family bibles TO
the most approved fashion of the last
local sheep fair. The room was lighted
by half-a-doZen candles, having wicks
only a trifle smaller than the grease
which encircled them, in candlesticks
that were never used but at high-days,
hOly-days, and family feaSts. The lights
were scattered about the room, two of
them standing on the chimney piece.
This position of candles was in itself
significant. Candles OH the chimney
piece always meant party.
On the hearth, in front of a back
brand to give substance, blaZed fire of
thorns, that cracked like the laughter
of the fool"
Nineteen persons were gathered here.
OF these, five women, wearing gowns
of various bright hues, sat in chairs
along the walls; girls shy and not shy
Guiding Charley Jake, the hedge-car-
penter, Elijah New, the parish-clerk,
and John Pitcher, neighboring dairy
man, the shepherds father-in-law, lol-
led in the settle; young man and maid,
parlers OH a life-COmpaniOnShip, sat
beneath the corner CupbOard; and an
elderly engaged man of so or upward
moved reStlessly from spots where his
betrOthed was not to the spot where she
was. Enjoyment was pretty general,
and so much the more prevailed in be-
ing unhampered by conventional re-
strictions. Absolute confidence in each
others good opinion begat perfect ease,
while the finishing stroke of manner,
amounting to truly princely serenity,
was lent to the majority by the absence
of any expression or trait denOting that
they wished to get on in the world, en-
large their minds. or do any eclipsing
thing whatever-which nowadays so
generally nips the bloom and bonhOmie
of all except the two extremes of the
social scale.
Shepherd Fennel had married well,
his wife being dairyman's daughter
from the valley below, who brought 80
&, meas in her pocket and kept them
there till they should be required for
ministering to the needs of coming
family. This frugal woman had been
somewhat exercised as to the character
that should be given to the gathering.
A sit-still party had its advantages; but
an undisturbed position of ease in chairs
and settles was apt to lead on the men
to such an unCOnsciOnable deal of top
ing that they would fairly drink the
house dry. a dancing party was the
alternative; but this. while avoiding the
foregoing objection on the score of good
drink, had cHunterbalanclng dlSad-
vantage i'll the matter of good ylctuals,
the ravenOus appetites engendered by
the exercise causing immense havoc in
the buttery. Shepherdess Fennel fell
back upon the intermediate plan of min
Cling short dances with short periods of
talking and singing, so as to hinder any
ungOvernable rage in either. But this
scheme was entirely confined to her own
gentle mind; the shepherd himself was
in the mood to exhibit the most reck-
less phases of hospitality.
The fiddler was boy of those parts,
about Il years of age, who had Won
derful dexterity in jigs and reels, though
his fingers were so small and short as
to necessitate constant shifting for
the high notes, from which he scram-
bled back to the first position with
sounds not of unmiXed purity of tone.
At the Shrill tweedle-dee of this
youngster had begun, accompanied by
a boOm.l & groundbass from Elijah New
the paf.:a clerk, who had thOughtfully
brought with him his favorite musical
instrument, the serpent. Dancing was
instantaneous. Mrs. Fennel privately
enjoining the players on no account to
let the dances exceed the length of a
quarter of an hour.
But Elijah and the boy. in the excite
70 Do C0atnlUettl